Government employees, share your work load/compensation/environment here

[cool_chique]

^sis, yung super hirap daw na exam is the Foreign Service Officer exam, not the CS exam.. i hope i could have the courage to take the FSO exam

[ReservoirDogs]

^^

Go sis cool_chique!   Kayang kaya yan.  Every May ang prelim exam for FSO so you have ample time to study pa.  Ateneo offers review classes. 

Kwento ko lang what my fiance went through in 2009 (which I also posted on the Workplace thread..I think): To prepare for the written exam (not the prelim exam), he read current events and watched CNN/BBC.  Nagkataon pa na magkasabay yung comps nya for his MA and the written exam sa FSO so he hit two birds with one stone.  Luckily he passed the written exam. 

Tapos hindi pa dyan tapos ang kalbaryo, may oral exam pa sila; it's a 3-day exam. They had this big function kasama mga ambassadors, etc., and everyone of them was asked to pick a scenario from a fishbowl.  Tapos they had to deliver an extemporaneous speech based on the scenario, in front of ambassadors, consuls, etc. Part din ng oral exam eh group discussion.  I-cricritique pa kayo after.  Actually, ang critique pa sa fiance ko ay "pa-impress" daw sya during the group discussion so he felt bad because he felt he wouldn't pass the oral exams based on that comment.  But luckily, he passed.  After which, my psych exam pa na whole day. Di biro ang psych exam dahil may isa sa kanila hindi nakapasa sa psych exam.

Mahabang process ang FSO - he took the exams in 2009 and sa Wed pa lang ang oath-taking nila  Imagine, he waited 2 years!  However, I think it's worth the wait so go for it!!

[cool_chique]

^whew! sis,parang nadiscourage ako sa hirap at tagal ng FSO! hahaha
grabe, 2years in the making pala yan! congrats to your fiance! he must be really good! locally muna sila maassign noh? may naassign na sakanya?

[shegothim]

im so happy 10 years na akong regular sa government.

[pressany]

cool_chique - sis, I'm reacting to Igenna's post "regarding the CS exam, i dont agree na mahirap sya. IMO depende yan sa educational background mo. CS exam is just like a college entrance exam. " not on the discussion on FSO. 

[cool_chique]

^oops, sorry sis.. i was also reading her post tapos sinundan ko lang then sayo yung last post kaya sayo ko natapat yung caret

i just wanted to clear about the comparison of CS exam and BAR exam.. rather, the BAR exam was earlier compared to FSO exam

sorry clarification lang po

[IronLady]

mga sis ok ba sa bsp? im planning to apply kasi. ang iniisip ko lang, pano ang promotion dun? baka staff na lang ako forever kahit bsp pa ito. haha. iniisip ko kasi kung mas ok na magp-private bank na lang ako then apply ako ng officer post, kesa naman bsp kung mahirap nga mapromote.. kaso dream ko talaga magwork dun. kaya lang yun ang dilemma ko, baka naman makapasok ako dun, mapagiwanan naman ako.. tsaka panu pala kapag nakagraduate ng mba if ever sa bsp ka? ia-angat din ba nila position mo?

[pressany]

^sis, if you really want a stable (secure if tenured ka) job, try BSP.  Grabe ang benefits nila, may mga training abroad pa.  But if you are looking for challenge sa work/career, BSP is not for you, medyo traditional government environment/set-up sila. 

[fall2pieces]

oo nga sis. maganda daw benefits sa BSP kahit staff ka lang. daig mo pa officer sa private company. pano mag-apply sa BSP?

[IronLady]

sis pressany, what do you mean by challenging? tsaka traditional? hehe. sori di ko kasi magets. sis yung training abroad hindi ba sila madamot sa ganun? baka naman piling pili lang din pwede sa ganun.. matagal ba bago maging officer dun? kahit pa magearn ka pa ng masteral? ang how true na may age limit dun? mas prefered daw na 25 and below, parang mahirap na daw pag mas matanda na dun? sori dami ko tanong. hehe!

[pressany]

^when I say na traditional, I mean medyo mabagal ang decision making, medyo bureaucratic at maraming levels ang approvals, unlike sa private sector na madaling desisyonan ang mga isyu. 

Another glaring difference between progressive and traditional organization is the weight given to seniority. Sa private progressive companies, performance based ang incentives and increase while in a traditional set-up may malaking weight ang seniority at tenure.  For example, may annual incentive na ilalabas, sa progressive company titingnan ang performance at hindi multiplier ang years in office or rank/position/sg, sa traditional factor ang tenure/position/rank.  Iba-iba ang incentive multiplier sa iba't ibang levels.

Sa decision making din. madalas sa traditional set-up, hindi nagkakaroon ng general consultation, mga boss lang ang nag-uusap usap hindi kasali ang mga employees.  Sa progressive set-up may mga consultative assemblies, etc.

[Frozen Toes]

^ Very true.

[fall2pieces]

i agree but sa decision making, it also happens to private companies.

[IronLady]

i see sis pressany. thanks for the explanation sis. edi ibig sabihin pala nito mas mahirap lalo mapromote pag govt. kasi syempre mas uunahin pa nila yung mga mas matagal na sayo dun. at tska madami pa dadaanan. hmm. pero yung compensation ba, e.g. bsp, ay enough na para kalimutan ng employee kung ano man ang rank nya, o hindi na mag-aspire pa ng mataas na post.? kasi nagtataka ko bakit andami din nagtatagal sa govt. e kung job security lang makikita mo din naman yun sa ibang private cos. esp banks. kunwari bdo, hindi naman na siguro mawawala yan diba? kaya im thinking if it got something to do with compen. waay better ba ang govt. talaga?

[pressany]

^On your first question about promotion:
Yes.
1.   Tenure is a factor but not the only factor
2.   There is such thing as management prerogative (meron din sa private nito)
3.   Sometimes the vacant or available position is reserved for someone who is still working on his/her qualification. (CesSO, Cess, CS eligibility, training)
Ito ang pinakanakakairita.  Yung tinatawag na gwardyadong position.
No.
1.   Like the private sector, may mga public offices din na fair and square ang promotion
2.   If you are the only qualified applicant
3.   If you possess a specialization
People with special training and skills (tariff evaluation, geo ek-ek , water contamination specialist) have big advantage during promotion as this limit their competition.
Sa compensation naman:
Basta choose the institution, wag mag-apply sa mga line agencies (DSWD, DOH, DOJ etc.) kung ayaw mong magdildil ng asin because they are subject to SSL.  Plus their other incentives are only based on what is approved by the President.  Go to GOCCs (Pagcor, PCSO, NPC, PNOC), GFI (GSIS, SSS etc.) and those institution governed by their own charter. 
If gov’t comp is way better than private companies:
Depende sa company (kahit private pa yan o public).  If you are really after big compensation, then target the Multinational Companies or International Organizations.

Sesya na mga sis ang haba ng sagot. 

[green-aholic]

mga sis, mahirap ba ang professional exam? saka me time limit ba? ganu po katagal?

[mango_shake]

depende sis.. actually take 2 ako before nakapasa.. pero parang feeling ko ganun din naman mga answers ko sa first take.. basta punta ka sa venue ng maaga, wag kang magpuyat kasi puro sentences makikita mo (paragraph organization, reading comprehension and of course correct usage and grammar).. first take ko kasi late ako kaya cramming na, feeling ko tapos na silang lahat start pa lang ako.. tapos puyat pa ko kaya wala talaga magregister sa utak ko.. 1 sentence hindi ako makacomprehend.. i think konti lang lang ang about Philippine Consti dun.. may konting math na kung nakinig ka ng mabuti sa high school math teacher mo, sisiw lang! 

nagpasa ako ng resume last june and last aug. in 2 gov't agencies.. kaso walang tawag.. tapos may nakita akong kakilala, she was once a cashier in watsons.. ngayon andun na siya, wala siyang csc eligibility pero yun tita niya working dun.. so ayun! i asked her bakit hindi siya magtake ng cs exam.. hindi pa daw siya nakakapasa.. tapos sabi niya yun iba nga daw dun 10 years na wala din eligibility.. i believe na may palakasan sa gov't kasi may mga kakilala ako na ganun.. kaya swerte ng mga walang backer pero na-hire.. ngayon medyo hesitant na ko to pursue applying for gov't offices.. 

[green-aholic]

thanks sis sa tips! hmm, sana naman maging fair naman yung ibang offices. ang hirap hirap ata ng exams tapos ganun lang na through palakasan ay nakakapasok.

[det060403]

thanks sis sa tips! hmm, sana naman maging fair naman yung ibang offices. ang hirap hirap ata ng exams tapos ganun lang na through palakasan ay nakakapasok.

Aww, I have to agree with you girls on this. TRUE talaga na may palakasan. Bigla nalang talagang naglalaho ang PDS ng ganun ganon lang! Mukang mahirap ng maalis yung ganito sa gov't. At mukhang swertehin na lang talaga kapag nakapasok ka ng gobyerno ng walang backer or talagang bonggang bonggang ang qualifications mo. Buti nalang sinwerte ako LOL!

[simplecathy143]

i planning to work din sa gov't.. pero as of now magpapa 1 yr experience muna ko sa work ko.. and gusto ko din na magtake muna ng civil service exam.. wew, sana makapasa ko..